In Victoria, industrial waste must be classified. Classification is how industrial waste is identified and described. Industrial waste must be classified so it's clear what duties apply and how to manage it.
Under the Environment Protection Act 2017(opens in a new window) and Environment Protection Regulations 2021(opens in a new window), industrial waste is classified according to risk. This is both the risk of harm to human health and the environment and the risk of mismanagement.
Under the Act, there are 7 industrial waste duties. The duties set out the legal responsibilities for managing industrial waste.
If you manage or control industrial waste, you must:
- classify your industrial waste
- meet the duties that apply to the waste classification.
The general environmental duty also applies to any industrial waste management activity.
Classification process
Classifying industrial waste involves:
- understanding the types of materials in the waste
- finding the relevant waste code or codes
- identifying the waste as industrial waste, priority waste or reportable priority waste.
Priority waste is a subset of industrial waste and has extra controls for managing risk. Reportable priority waste is a subset of priority waste and has the highest level of controls.
If your waste is priority waste for disposal at a landfill or soil sourced from contaminated land, you must identify which priority waste category applies.
A high level of technical knowledge is generally needed to understand industrial waste. You need a thorough understanding of the waste itself, including its nature, source and composition. If you're unsure how to classify your waste, you can engage an accredited consigner.
Special storage and handling requirements apply if your waste is dangerous goods. To learn more about dangerous goods, visit WorkSafe Victoria(opens in a new window).
Our Guide to classifying industrial waste steps through the process for classifying industrial waste.
Waste codes for pre-classified waste
Most types of industrial waste have a waste code. These are called pre-classified wastes.
Waste codes are set out in Schedule 5 of the Environment Protection Regulations. They're an effective way to identify waste to others in the waste supply chain.
Waste codes help determine:
- who's authorised to accept the waste and which permission they need
- if the waste needs to be tracked with Waste Tracker
- if you need a vehicle permit to transport the waste.
If the waste needs to be tracked, you must have a waste code for it.
To find the waste code in Schedule 5, check if your waste:
- fits a description in column 3
- is pre-classified in column 5.
If the waste is pre-classified, you can find its waste code in column 4.
For most industrial waste, you must have a waste code to transport it offsite. For example, you must have a waste code to:
- authorise the receipt of waste for some permissions
- track the transport of reportable priority waste in Waste Tracker
- determine which permission you need to transport reportable priority waste.
For details about contaminant codes, waste origin codes, and treatment and disposal codes, visit Waste Tracker.
Mirror codes
A small number of wastes listed in Schedule 5 have mirror codes.
A mirror code is for waste that can be hazardous in certain circumstances. For example, drilling mud may be non-hazardous, but it is hazardous when contaminated with hydraulic fluid.
A mirror code has 2 variations:
- hazardous (code ending in -H)
- non-hazardous (code ending in -NH).
Under the Regulations, if you have waste with a mirror code, you must determine if that waste is hazardous or non-hazardous.
You can determine if waste with a mirror code is hazardous or non-hazardous using the Waste classification assessment protocol.
Priority waste and reportable priority waste
For pre-classified industrial waste, you only need the waste code to determine if the waste is priority waste or reportable priority waste.
Check columns 6, 7 and 8 to find out if the waste is:
- priority waste
- reportable priority waste (transactions), meaning you need to track the waste
- reportable priority waste (transport), meaning you need to transport the waste in a licensed vehicle.
If more than one description in column 3 applies, you must classify and manage it as the most hazardous of those waste types. For example, if your waste fits the description of both reportable priority waste and industrial waste, classify it as reportable priority waste.
Priority waste categories
For some priority waste, you must identify the relevant priority waste category. This applies to:
- priority waste going to landfill
- soil that is priority waste.
This usually involves analysing and sampling the waste. Schedule 6 of the Regulations specifies the characteristics and thresholds for determining priority waste categories.
What the priority waste category is depends on how hazardous the waste is. The category tells you:
- which landfills can receive the waste
- the waste levy you need to pay to dispose of the waste at the landfill.
Waste that's not pre-classified
Some new or unusual waste types may not be adequately classified under the Regulations. In these cases, the waste is not pre-classified in Schedule 5.
Waste codes do not cover all waste produced. To classify waste, it's important to consider the component parts. For example, if your waste consists of concrete, brick and plastics, the waste codes are:
- Y100 (concrete)
- Y110 (bricks)
- Z500 (plastics).
These wastes are industrial waste but are not priority waste or reportable priority waste.
If there's no suitable waste code, you can apply for a designation or seek advice from us. Refer to the Waste classification assessment protocol for more information on how to classify waste by examining the properties of the waste.
Waste from manufacturing and industrial processes can be difficult to classify. We recommend you get help from an accredited consigner or environmental consultant.
Mixing, blending or diluting priority waste
Under regulation 70 of the Regulations, you must not mix, blend or dilute priority waste, unless it complies with a designation.
Mixing, blending or diluting priority waste to change the waste classification may result in unsafe practices – for example, blending highly contaminated soil with less contaminated soil to lower the priority waste category so that the soil can be disposed of at a lower-threshold landfill or sold as fill material.
Contamination must be appropriately treated or destroyed. Dilution may result in contamination spreading or larger volumes of waste.
You must meet strict criteria for us to issue a designation authorising the mixing, blending or diluting of priority waste. We must be satisfied that:
- mixing, blending or diluting the priority waste under the designation will not pose a risk of harm to human health or the environment
- where the priority waste is soil:
- the mixing, blending or diluting is necessary to prepare the soil for treatment
- the treatment will destroy any contamination
- the treatment is not otherwise authorised by the Act or the Regulations.
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